... As a reminder, visibility of the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks will be extremely limited on Roosevelt Island due to the show's location near the Brooklyn Bridge. There are no designated viewing locations available on Roosevelt Island....

Depending on today's weather, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) will provide a July 4 Community celebration at Firefighters Field this evening. According to RIOC:

Roosevelt Island residents are invited to a free community celebration at Firefighter’s Field, Friday, July 4th at 7 PM. Join us for fantastic activities including karaoke, music, prizes, and a live simulcast screening of the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show live from the Brooklyn Bridge on a large outdoor screen!

All activities will be provided free of charge; food and beverages will be available for purchase. Residents are welcome to bring a blanket or a lawn chair and join in the fun with friends and family.

This event is weather sensitive; an advisory will be issued in case of cancellation.

Presented by The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC).

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

RIOC adds:

On July 4th, visitor parking at the Motorgate Garage will be limited to a maximum of 400 spaces to ensure adequate parking for residents and those with a monthly permit. Residents without a monthly access card should be prepared to show proof of residency when entering the garage. As a reminder, visibility of NYC's July 4th fireworks display will be extremely limited. There are no designated viewing locations available on Roosevelt Island.

The fireworks may be viewed from any area with an unobstructed view of the sky above the East River. The public viewing sections will be the elevated portions of FDR Drive with the following entry points:
Manhattan Access Points

Montgomery & South Streets: From the north (viewing along the FDR between Manhattan Bridge and Montgomery Street).

Brooklyn Bridge entry from St. James Place (Pearl Street) & Wagner Place (viewing both north & south of the Brooklyn Bridge).

Broad Street and/or Old Slip at Water Street (viewing between Heliport & south side of Brooklyn Bridge

ADA viewing area: Murray Bergtraum High School track and field facility, at the base of the Manhattan Bridge. Use the entrance at Market & Cherry Streets.

Visitors to Lighthouse Park are advised that the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department will be conducting inspections of all containers/bags that are brought into the park throughout the summer. Visitors are reminded that alcoholic drinks, illegal drugs, fireworks, personal grills and other illegal or unauthorized items are strictly prohibited within all Roosevelt Island parks. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

and a post thunderstorm sunset of NYC seen from Roosevelt Island's Manhattan Park.

Image From Diana Desrocher

Today will be another very hot day. The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) has opened an air conditioned cooling center at the Seniors Center. According to RIOC:

The Nation Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for New York City from 12:00 noon today until 5:00 PM tonight. A cooling center has been established at the Roosevelt Island Senior Center (546 Main St.) and will remain open from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM today. As a reminder, a cooling center will be made available when the heat index becomes dangerously high. Individuals without air conditioning, particularly those at risk for heat related illness, should use established cooling centers during a heat wave.

Sincerely,

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group

UPDATE 7/7 - Another great picture of the lightning seen from Roosevelt Island.

sends the following report reviewing the first six months of his term in office. According to Mr. Kallos:

It has been six months since I became your City Council Member. In these six months, we have built a stronger community together. Through it all, the City has become more fair and compassionate, thanks to measures such as:

Now, I want to hear from you: Have you received assistance from our office? Have you and I gotten the chance to meet? Have you been happy with the direction of the City and the advocacy I've taken on? Please reply with your feedback and ideas.This is just the beginning. I hope you'll take a chance to share your feedback at this six-month stage so we can continue to grow, learn and build a better neighborhood together. Sincerely, Ben Kallos

If your answer is yes, head on over to the FDR Four Freedoms Park today and the next four Wednesdays at 4 PM for free classes. According to the FDR Four Freedoms Park:

Four Freedoms Park Conservancy is excited to offer Martial Arts as part of our summer Health & Wellness series.

Along with their caregivers, children ages 3 and up are invited to try Tang Soo Do, a Korean Martial Art. While learning Tang Soo Do techniques, they will also be increasing flexibility, strength, memory, and coordination. The system includes cardiovascular aerobic exercise for the heart and lungs.

All ages and levels are encouraged to participate.

Classes are FREE and will take place Wednesdays in July at 4pm.

Dates are: July 2 (today!), 9, 16, 23, 30

All classes will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Check Twitter for updates.

Attendance at all five sessions is strongly recommended. Classes are approximately 45 minutes long. Be sure to dress comfortably!

Sad news to report. According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Last weekend, RIOC and the Roosevelt Island community lost a valued member of our team. Lieutenant Gary Yee of the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department passed away on the morning of Sunday, June 29. We are deeply saddened by this loss and honor him for his 22 years and 4 months of dedicated service to the Roosevelt Island community. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.

Last month, RIOC and the Roosevelt Island community lost a valued member of our team. Lieutenant Gary Yee of the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department passed away on the morning of Sunday, June 29. We are deeply saddened by this loss and honor him for his 22 years and 4 months of dedicated service to the Roosevelt Island community. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.

Memorial services will be held for Lt. Yee this Friday, July 11th, 12 PM at the Timothy P. Doyle Funeral Home (845-452-0460, 371 Hooker Avenue, Poughkeepsie NY 12603). Flowers may be sent directly to the funeral home or, in lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the American Diabetes Association.

I interviewed Larry Parnes and Jeff Escobar in two segments that will air monthly for the next 2 months on all local cable networks. First show will air at 9:30 pm on thurs July 3. First topic is Cornell. Second topic is RI governance. Called "CBS Speaks", it will be on MNN. (Manhattan neighborhood network)

Mr. Escobar, President of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA), and Mr. Parnes are both members of CB 8 and were very active citizens representing the interests of Roosevelt Island residents during the various negotiations with Cornell NYC Tech.

Topics discussed during the interview included the Cornell NYC Tech Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), community benefit agreements and the strategy used by the Roosevelt Island community to organize themselves for negotiations with Cornell.

Mr. Escobar and Parnes also describe their expertise in real estate and land use matters, Mr. Escobar as an attorney and Mr. Parnes was formerly the Deputy Director of NYC Planning Commission.

were meeting and greeting community residents at last Saturday's Farmers Market. They reported that Ramadan prayers services were starting yesterday (Sunday) beginning 10 PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street). They added that the Muslim community is seeking a permanent location on Roosevelt Island for a Mosque.

The bike sharing locations are in Manhattan, south of 59th street and in several Brooklyn neighborhoods. No bike sharing stations in Queens or Roosevelt Island. The closest Citi Bike sharing station to Roosevelt Island is on 58th and Second Avenue.

I think it would be great to connect Roosevelt Island to Long Island City and Astoria with bike sharing stations.

Hopes were high in September 2010 for a Roosevelt Island bike sharing station when the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) undertook a demonstration here.

A deal that would both stabilize Citi Bike and create the opportunity to expand the popular New York City bikeshare program is taking shape.

About three weeks ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration, a company called REQX Ventures and Alta Bicycle Share, the system's troubled operator, agreed on the broad outlines of an agreement, according to two knowledgeable sources.

According to the terms of that still-tentative agreement, REQX Ventures, a company run by individuals affiliated with Equinox and Related Companies (the real estate company that owns Equinox) would buy at least 51-percent of the Portland-based company....

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WELCOME TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND

Welcome to the Roosevelt Islander Online!

Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.

The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.